Mexico is the second largest economy in Latin America. The World Bank Group engagement with the country is structured around a model that provides development solutions adapted to the country, with an integral package of financial, knowledge and convening services.
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This report presents the results of
background studies of several key Mexican programs (those
aimed at students facing specific disadvantages and
school-based management... Show More + programs) and discusses their policy
implications. It also presents new findings on the role of
accountability systems. The findings presented here are
supported by the World Bank's forthcoming Mexico
Poverty Report Phase III on service delivery. In short, the
Poverty Report calls on the public sector to promote models
that improve pedagogical practice and evaluation at the
local level and that encourage accountability at all levels.
The federal government could further promote this
development by loosening the regulations that currently
govern local governments, while strengthening its own role
in setting standards, conducting evaluations, and
encouraging state governments to be more transparent. This
report identifies some of the innovative state actions that
have improved the quality of education and have enhanced
equity in access to education. The impact evaluations
undertaken as part of this study have shown that several key
education programs in Mexico improve educational outcomes.
Over-time studies, qualitative assessments, and impact
evaluations show that such initiatives may eventually also
improve educational outcomes. In addition, compensatory
programs and school-based management programs have been
shown to be cost-effective. State accountability systems and
increased access to information on education are associated
with better educational outcomes. Finally, the findings of
this report support the hypothesis laid out in Phase I of
the Quality of Education study (World Bank 2005a), in other
words, the need to promote autonomy, accountability and
assessment in the Mexican education system. Show Less -

This report aims to identify the
determinants of learning in Mexico, focusing on equity,
cross-country comparisons and national studies. The present
report provides... Show More + new analytical work on the determinants of
learning using international and national assessments, as
well as new work on the returns to quality of education and
an assessment of media coverage of international
assessments. The report is organized as follows: Chapter 1
reviews the existing international and Mexican literature on
education quality and the determinants of learning. Chapter
2 presents an overview of the state of education in Mexico.
Chapter 3 discusses the analysis of the National Assessments
(Estandures Nacionales) from 1998 to 2000 and the results of
the analysis of PISA 2000 and PISA 2003 data. Finally,
Chapter 4 concludes the main report with an agenda for
action, which responds to the education situation in Mexico.
The report's main message is that Mexico needs to
increase secondary school enrollment rates. The country
continues to do well at maintaining equity in terms of the
impact of family background on scores and the very low
dispersion between top and bottom achievers, which is
unusual for a Latin American country participating in
international achievement tests. To improve quality, Mexican
schools need to improve the school climate and continue
efforts to move decision-making from the state level
education secretariats to the school level, thus increasing
school autonomy. Also, accountability needs to be further
strengthened by involving parents and the community more and
setting clear goals and clear vision for the school system.
Finally, Mexico's remarkable efforts to improve
assessment of the system should continue, with continued
participation in international achievement tests, as well as
improvements of the national assessment system. Show Less -